Flow indicator for hydraulic turbines



Nov. 10, 1931. 1. A. WINTER ET AL 1,831,218 FLOW INDICATOR FOR HYDRAULIC TURBINES Filed Nov. 7, 1927 W Attorney v UNITED STATE Patented Nov. 10, 1931 FLOW INDICATOR FOR HYDRAULIC TURBINES Application filed November 7, 1927. Serial No. 231,457.

Our invention relates to apparatus for measuring or indicating the rate of flow of water through a hydraulic turbine, and has for its object the provision of simple, effective apparatus of the character designated which shall be economical of manufacture and reliable in operation.

objectionable because Our invention is more particularly applicable to turbines of the reaction type having a scroll'or volute casing for directing the water toward the guide-vanes of the turbine, and its particular o'bjectis to provide a means for measuring or indicating the rate of flow of Water through such operate by reason-of the diflerential in hydrostatic pressure existing between selected points at different distances from the center of the turbine wheel within the scroll case,

when the turbine is in operation.

Apparatus has heretoforebeen proposed to measure the flow of fluid through a conduit by interposing a right angled bend in the conduit and measuring the pressure differential across thebend; In such apparatus, the pressure difi'erential on opposite sides of the right angle bend varies with the square of. the veloclty of the fluid flowing through the con- The use of such apparatus is objec-' tionable with hydraulic turbines because the elbow bend interposed in ing the direction of the moving stream absorbs a high precentage of the available energy in the water and, furthermore, the-eddy currents produced in turning "the water stream sharply renders the readlngs erratic and inaccurate. Other means which have heretofore been proposed and widely used for measuring the flow of water through a turbine have comprised-the well known Pitot tube and the Venturi tube. The Pitot tube is of the danger of accumulation of trash in the tube receiving the impact of the water, and the dilficulty of aligning this tube with the movmg stream. The objections to the necessity of careful design of the structure which renders it expensive of manufacture, and the velocit change in the water flowing through the tu e, the power output of the turbine. Our mventer, or other a turbine, which shall wa-ter,.1n its approach out through the draft following the stream for turn- Venturi tube are "the latter being guide vanes,

which results in aloss in' tion operates in accordance with a, different principle from that of any 'of the abovementioned devices, causes no veloclty change in the flowing water, and is not open to the objections as to the expense of design and clogging in operation. I e

riefly, our invention comprises a manomesuitable pressure-differential indicating device, having its two sides communlcating with an outer and an inner portion, respectlvely, of the scroll casing of a reaction typehydraulic turbine. As is well understood in the art to which our invention relates,

to such a turbine, is gradually turned around the turbine wheel by p the outer spiral casing, while the inner partof the stream of water is flowing radial ly inwards toward the center of the wheel and tube. We have found that the pressure difl'erence existing between points in the stream of water lying in the .same radial plane, but at different distances from the center of the turbine wheel, varies as a function of the rate of flow ofthe water, the law of constant moment of momentum; By measuring this pressure differential we are enabled, after proper calibration of the apparatus, to indicate or measure the exact flow through the turbine. at all times. I Apparatus embodying vention is illustrated in drawings, forming a part wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hydraulic turbine embodying our invention, showing the turbine wheel and guide vanes'in dotted lines; and J Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lineII-II of Fig. 1.

-Referring now to the drawings fora better understanding of our invention, we show a turbine wheel 10 of the reaction type mounted in a scroll or volute casing 11, the provided with a plurality of or wicket gates, 12 for directing the water against the runners of the wheel 10. At 13 is shown the draft tube which discharges the water from the turbine to the tail 100 features of our in-, the accompanying of this application,

race, not shown. Water is conveyed to the measuring means communicat'ng with the casing 11 through an intake tube 14. two connections.

\Ve have found that, with turbines of the 2. In a turbine of the radial inflow axial character described, the pressure differential discharge type having a spiral scroll case, a in any radial plane, between the outer scroll turbine wheel within the case and guide vanes 70 case 11 and the guide vanes 12, varies as a for directing motive fluid to the turbine function of the rate of flow to the turbine. wheel; a pressure connection to the scroll case \Ve, accordingly, provide a manometer 16, located adjacent the guide vanes, a pressure which may be of any suitable type, and conconnection to the case near the scroll case nect its two sides to inner and outer portions wall opposed to the guide vanes, and means 7 of the water stream through the scroll case for measuring the pressure diiferential be- 11, as at 1'7 and 18. It will be seen from tween the two connections. the drawings, that the pressure at 17 is that In testimony whereof we afiix our signadetermined by the momentum of the water in tures. the intakel l, while the pressure at 18 is that IREAL A. WINTER. due to the momentum of the water flowing 'ABSALOM M. KENNEDY. towards the turbine wheel or the inward radial flow toward the center of the turbine. lVhile equally accurate results might be ob- 29 tained by connecting the two sides of the 85 manometer to other points around the scroll case, the greatest pressure difierence is registered at the points shown; that is, in a radial plane at approximately 45 to the direction of flow of water through the intake 14. 90

Following is a set of readings made with our improved flow indicating device, employing a mercury column in the U tube of the manometer, and showing the actual water '30 flow as calibrated by the Gibson method: 95

Quantity of water Manometer difierential flowing in cu. ft. reading in inches per sec. of mercury 890 0.5 1280 1.0 1845 2.0

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that we have devised an improved flow measuring device for hydraulic turbines which is 110 simple of design and reliable in operation.

While we have shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifica- 11 tions, without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.- 19

What we claim is: 1. In a hydraulic turbine of the radial inflow axial discharge type having a spiral scroll case and a turbine wheel within the case; a pressure connection to the scroll case 1 adjacent the intake portion of the turbine, a" second pressure connection to the scroll case at a point of lesser velocity motive fluid flow into the turbine and remote from the intake y portion thereof, and pressure differential 1 

